[Python-Dev] Keyword meanings [was: Accept just PEP-0426]

[PJ Eby]

On Mon, Dec 3, 2012 at 2:43 PM, Daniel Holth <dholth at gmail.com> wrote:
> How to use Obsoletes:
>
> The author of B decides A is obsolete.
>
> A releases an empty version of itself that Requires: B
>
> B Obsoletes: A
>
> The package manager says "These packages are obsolete: A". Would you like to
> remove them?
>
> User says "OK".
>

Um, no.  Even if the the author of A and B are the same person, you
can't remove A if there are other things on the user's system using
it.  The above scenario does not work *at all*, ever, except in the
case where B is simply an updated version of A (i.e. identical API) --
in which case, why bother?  To change the project name?  (Then it
should be "Formerly-named" or something like that, not "Obsoletes".)

Please, *please* see the previous Catalog-SIG discussion I linked:
this is only one of multiple metadata fields that were thoroughly
debunked in that discussion as completely useless for automated
dependency management.